The Black Tie Affair
by Erizabesu Miharu
Summary: 2k16-verse. An epilogue to 'Optimum Illusion', where Mikey finally makes his move on Emma... what's she going to say? What's gonna come of it? You've gonna have to read to find out. Mikey/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**So, there were mixed emotions about how I left things off with Emma, April, and the Turtles. But despair not; here's** **something** **that just might satisfy your f** **ickle** **minds. Or put them on the fast track to a meltdown.**

 **Reading of the last few chapters of 'Optimum Illusion' is recommended to know what's what in this story.**

 **(August, 2015)**

 _Everything is awesome!_ Mikey recited through the tight steps of his pacing on the rooftop of April's apartment building. _Everything is cool when you're part of a team…_

Argh! The lyrics weren't working. Why was _The Lego Movie_ failing him? He would've thought that after all the Die Hard quotes and Braveheart speeches falling flat, it would undoubtedly come to his rescue. But no, his palms were still sweaty, his heart pounding to the point of making him go deaf…

"Mikey?"

Mikey's scream echoed up and out into the fading twilight of New York City. He put his hands on his nunchaku, but saw that it was only Emma and bent forward, hand over his heart. _Who else could it have been, doofus? You invited her up here._

And she was here, obviously off from the clinic. She was working there right up to when she was heading out for the dolphin place… in four days. Mikey had peeked down into the girls' apartment and there were boxes crowding the corners of the rooms. Which brought up the question, who was helping her move? Who would she be living with once she got to North Carolina. Would they be nice to her?

But he wasn't going to think about it! He had bigger fish to tackle, er fry.

"Hi, Emma!" Mikey exclaimed, perhaps louder then need be. Emma raised a brow at him. Her hair was disheveled and stuck out from her skull from the humidity. It'd been a hot one, this summer. She had on that cool white lad coat that all clinic employees had to wear. What was it with the medical profession and white coats? Oh, wait, no bunny-trailing. He needed to be focused.

"You're here." Mikey announced in a softer voice, "That's good, that's great."

Now both Emma's eyebrows rose up on her forehead. "Sorry if I'm late… it's still light out, should you be up here?"

"Oh no, it's cool." Mikey pshawed her concern. "This' actually the best time for ninjas; all the shadows and stuff. Makes perfect cover for us ninjas. Because… we're, ya know ninjas. And this ninja had to see you."

"Mikey," Emma looked him over, taking a step closer. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy." He blurted with a thumbs-up.

"Peachy?" Emma repeated.

"Yeah, like," Mikey shrugged. "A peach. Fuzzy, juicy, and… round."

 _Get on with it!_

"So, you're leaving soon and I… well…" Mikey breathed in and out a couple times. "You remember when we talked about our bucket lists."

"Sure," Emma gave a reflective smile. "What, you add something new to yours?"

"No…" Mikey drew it out like he might with Master Splinter. "Yes! I mean… there's something on it that I didn't tell you about."

Emma kept her gaze on him expectantly. "Okay… what?"

Mikey drew in the bravest breath he could. "I want… to have a date with you."

Emma's head jumped back. Mikey cringed at it; here it came, the laughter, her laughter, chasing him back down into the sewers. She didn't move, didn't look away from him. "A da- that is… where?"

Well, it wasn't laughter.

"The roof with the water tower." Mikey rushed out. "That's all I really want to say because I want to surprise you. Except, I'm bribing Casey to bring up those quail and waffles we wanted to try- ya know, with hot sauce on top? But, we don't need that if…"

He stopped because Emma continued to look at him, saying nothing. That wasn't right because Emma ALWAYS talked! Even if you didn't want her to; it was one of the glorious bonds that they shared. He hadn't seen much of it since they had rescued her from the Kraang. His eyes almost went to the scars on her forehead, but he stopped. He had promised himself not to make a spectacle of her. He'd even looked up the word- ok, Donnie had looked up the word!- to make sure that he reminded himself correctly.

 _Say something, Emma._ Mikey pleaded silently.

She didn't. Rather, her cheeks began to warm… was that the color known as dusty rose?

"Mikey…" she breathed out at last. "A date with you would be great, but… you're not going to try to convince me not to leave, are you?"

"Yes and no." Mikey answered. Like he could ever lie to her.

"Ok."

Mikey thought he'd gone deaf. "Ok, what?"

Emma's smile came back. "Ok, what time are you picking me up?"

"Oh…" _STUPID!_ "I thought it better that we meet there. I mean… nine, ok? Tomorrow night?"

"I'll be there." Emma nodded.

They stood awkwardly for a moment before Emma began backing up and retreating down the fire escape. Mikey waited until she was for sure out of sight. Then he started running, spinning around the roof, flipping and vaulting between one ledge and then the other. He stopped at one point, arms open toward the bustling street below. "That was a yes, New York! She said yes!"

He let himself fall back, rolling onto his shell and left to gaze happily at the sky. A reddish-orange- like Emma's hair. What would it look like on a date? The thought hit Mikey and he sat up. _Wait a second… WHAT'M I GONNA WEAR!?_

 **}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{**

Emma didn't go into the apartment building, as she had intended. Rather, she took off walking down the sidewalk, heart pumping faster then her feet could walk. What had she just agreed to? She leaned hard against the building she happened to be closest to. _What'm I gonna wear?_

 **Oh yes folks, THIS is happening! Happy New Year!**


	2. Chapter 2

Mikey had spent a near half hour of his precious gaming time, scrubbing himself raw in the shower stall of their home, and he could STILL smell the sewer on him! Well, seventeen years and it was bound to get under your skin. Funny, how he had never noticed it before. And boy, had he had a time of it, getting past his brothers. Good old Casey hadn't kept his mouth shut and now Raph, Leo, and Don were having a field day of taunts and teases. But Mikey held the ace… Emma had said yes!

 _Not a pity date,_ Mikey guarded himself against Raph's words. _Not a pity date… then again, what's there to pity about this good-looking reptile, I'd like to know!_

Mikey readjusted the plates a fifth time, and then spun around as he heard a scrape and muttering below. It was Emma, had to be. She's actually shown up! Mikey scurried to the edge just as she stepped over the final leg of the fire escape. He skidded to a stop at the girl in front of him. The girl with her hair in a side-swept hairdo and a knockout purple dress that showed her shoulders.

 _Uh… uh…_

Emma smiled hopefully, tangling a fist in the knee-length skirt. "It's known as a skater dress. Never worn one, but I admire ice skaters, so..." she shrugged.

"You look," Mikey racked deep into his brain. _What's the best word?_ "Incredible. Way, awesome, incredible."

Emma blushed. "Thanks. I like your tie. Distinguished."

Mikey straightened. "It's meant to be in the place of a tux."

"For quail and waffles with hot sauce?"

"You're wearing a dress." Mikey pointed out. _Lucky for me._

"Touché." Emma pointed back at him.

That seemed to break the ice; or at least crack it.

"C'mon." Mikey stepped aside to reveal the 'table' of TV trays he had pushed together under the water tower and covered with a bed sheet he had found in a Goodwill donation bin. (He planned to return it after the evening was over.) There were paper plates and plastic utensils, but the candlesticks he'd haggled from Master Splinter.

 _"_ _My son," Master Splinter had said tenderly when first hearing what Mikey was up to. But Mikey had stopped him there. "Please Dad- Sensei. I_ _really_ _want this."_

There had been a few heavy sighs, but Master Splinter had given in. Casey had to be the one to light the candles though. So he had plates, candles, the girl- oh, mood-setting music! Mikey hit the play button for his T-pod and instantly 'Bella Notte' from _Lady & the Tramp_ strummed out over the roof. It was Emma's favorite Disney movie; how could he go wrong?

"M'lady," Mikey bowed to Emma before she could see him blushing. "Your chair."

Emma was trying not to giggle as he scooted her in. "You did this all by yourself?"

"Well, I had a little help from the professor." Mikey admitted. "Remember me mentioning him? Homeless people really know their garbage. Not that… I mean, I only selected the best garbage for you. No, wait-" Mikey smushed his face into his palm. _Lamebrain! You're screwing this up!_

"Mikey." Emma called him out of the corner of shame he was quickly herding himself into. "You know it's still me, right? I came here to hang out. You're not twisting my arm to be here." She nodded at the empty seat across the table. "So, sit your shell down, pop open that hot sauce, and start cracking jokes."

Mikey took her words to heart and soon they were digging in. The music switched to something more modern as they discovered that quail was the new chicken. Then Mikey revolted when Emma combined the hot sauce with her syrup.

"Really… it's not that bad." Emma fanned her mouth after a swallow. "The sweetness… whew!... counters the spice."

"But then you're taking away the whole point of hot sauce." Mikey shook his head, refusing to accept this.

"I'm adding to it." Emma insisted.

"More like tainting it."

Emma forked another bite of soaked waffle. "Now, if I were to dump syrup on your Turbo Taco pizza _that_ would be tainting."

Mikey dropped his own fork. "Gorgeous, you just gave me an idea… pancake pizza."

He erected his head with pride, only to find Emma staring off. Her look was intense, furrowed, focused on some spot far off in the distance.

"You okay?" Mikey asked, the pizza forgotten.

"I…" Emma snapped back quickly. "I'm sorry. Thought…" she shrugged. "My ears get this weird noise in them sometimes. Like, muffled, hollow noises. Another sense memory from being in the tank, I think."

Mikey about flew across the table, eager to engulf her in a hug. "You're not! You're never going back in there again! I promise."

Emma studied her paper cup for a moment, then shook herself out of it. "Look at me, the wet blanket. Here you are looking for a date and I…"

"Don't." Mikey stopped her. "Don't say a single bad thing about yourself. You're the best date a turtle could ask for."

Emma grinned, her color tinted in the candlelight. "Mikey… would you like to dance?"

"Huh?" Mikey's mouth fell open on his bite of quail. Luckily, Emma didn't notice. She was up and fiddling with the T-pod. "It's one of the basic three components of a date; dinner, movie, dance. What'd you say?"

"I really shouldn't freestyle on a hot stomach." Mikey joked. "Believe me, Raph and I learned that the hard way. We were eleven and after scarfing three whole jalapeno pizzas, we…"

"A slow dance, Mikey." Emma told him, hitting the play button. Ed Sheeran began and she put it down, eyeing him expectantly.

"Seriously?" Mikey repelled, palms back to sweating.

"It's what every girl dreams of." Emma insisted. "It's either Sheeran or Michael Buble."

Ok, he'd take Ed Sheeran. Emma still had to drag Mikey to his feet though; and draw his hand on her waist. Not that he needed much convincing, but Mikey tried to keep his breathing under control. _Why are you not thrilled that this is happening right now?_

Because soon, she'd be leaving and this was all he was going to be left with. Looking pretty and… Oh great, now 'Photograph' was playing! Ironic, since he didn't have a camera.

"Relax, turtle." Emma whispered to him.

"You don't make it easy." Mikey blurted.

"And you know how to flatter a girl." Emma gave a gentle laugh.

There was enough room under the water tower for them to move in slow circles. It took them a minute to figure out the rhythm of the song, but when they did, they got quiet. Emma rested her head on Mikey's shoulder, Mikey's hand aligned with the curve of her waist. Both were a small, warm pressure; and were going to give him a heart attack! Mikey swallowed. "You didn't… that is…"

"Hm?" Emma encouraged. But Mikey's inner voice was screaming, _Shut up!_

He didn't listen. "You're just so calm."

"I guess you have that effect on me."

Mikey moved back and forth with her; this was considered a waltz right? Girls found waltzes romantic. Blasted head, why won't you stop spinning!? "Emma, you didn't… agree to this date out of pity, did you?"

Her head left his shoulder as she stepped back and gaped at him. "Mikey."

"Not that I believe that!" Mikey cried, panicking at her hurt eyes. "No, really, I… ugh, stupid Michelangelo! I made the mistake of wrestling with Raph before I came. The lousy maniac must still be in my head because only he would think something _that_ outrageous. And untrue. Totally, completely, untrue."

"Mikey." Emma said again, grabbing his attention. "I don't do anything that I don't mean."

Why was she standing on her toes?

"I wanted to come." Emma barely breathed before their lips touched.

Mikey's brain exploded! It exploded higher then when he'd been given his nunchaku, higher then the first time he'd tried pizza… this trumped all of that! He stood there, frozen in the first seconds, questioning what to do. Only then he found himself pressing his lips back on hers. Some more seconds whisked by, then Emma released with a soft breath. "Oh… that was more then the hot sauce, cowboy."

"Yeah." Mikey thought he said. All he was seeing right now were stars rotating over them, with Emma's face in the middle of every one. "That was… epic."

They smiled at each other, Ed Sheeran still serenading them. Then Mikey's smile faded as his thoughts wondered. "Why'd you do that if you're just going to leave?"

Emma didn't lose her grin, but it saddened. "Kissing a handsome turtle was on my bucket list."

He was on her bucket list!? Score!

"But… you're still going to leave."

"Mikey, if I stay, I'm going to be a burden." Emma said. Mikey held her at the waist with both hands this time. "Not to me!"

"That's… not enough." Emma stepped back, fingering the edge of the table. "And that's not how it sounds. Mikey, we both know how important family is; that it's more important then this… us."

"But Emma…"

"Burning building." Emma shot at him. "Don't think, answer. I'm trapped, so's Donnie. Who'd you save?"

The answer came and Mikey's shoulders drooped. "Donnie."

"That's how it should be." Emma shocked him by smiling. "Mikey, I lost a brother. In every way that I could lose one. I'm not going to be the reason that you lose yours."

Mikey huffed. "When are you going to stop carrying Carson's death on your shoulders? It's gonna totally wreck your posture."

"I carry it as a reminder." Emma squared her shoulders.

"But it doesn't have to define you. It was one thing-"

"It was the thing that impacted me the most." Emma continued to block him at every turn. "My second,

was meeting you. You are an amazing friend."

 _And you're a great first love._ Mikey thought over the sharp stab in his heart. "You too, Imogene. I'm gonna miss you."

Emma nodded, eyeing the T-pod. " Do… do you wanna freestyle now? I see MC Hammer coming up…"

"Actually," Mikey stopped the T-pod before it could break the atmosphere. "Let's go check out the stars."

Emma studied him, and then she nodded. In a rare quiet, they climbed up and situated themselves on the roff of tin sheets. There weren't many stars to spot- there never were- but neither cared. Emma's head found Mikey's shoulder again, regardless of her hairdo.

This time, Mikey put his arm around her.

 **THE END**

 **Comment, as much as you wish! Again, Happy New Year!**

 **FYI, I will be re-posting 'How to Meet a Girl' and 'How to Treat a Girl' soon... no huge changes, just a little** **rearranging and sharpening of the characters.**


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